


Black Friday 2017

by Princess_Shireen



Series: X-Over Adventures in NYC [4]
Category: Arslan Senki | Heroic Legend of Arslan, Shingeki no Kyojin | Attack on Titan, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (TV 2012)
Genre: Andragoras is in Trouble, Black Friday, Broken Bones, Gen, Hospitalization, Kharlan is the World's Biggest Scumbag, Worried Daryun, punctured lung
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-11-25
Updated: 2017-12-23
Packaged: 2019-02-06 14:29:16
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 8,686
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/12819546
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Princess_Shireen/pseuds/Princess_Shireen
Summary: Pars Era, the year 2017, Friday, November 24. The annual Black Friday Battle at the Atropatene Mall has begun. With Maryam Estates backing out this year, Pars Corporation and Ecbatana Apartments are short a couple hundred or so people, so Andragoras has Arslan call the Turtles, to recruit them for this event.Arslan Tanner Baris is about to embark on his "maiden battle" this year. He is thirteen years old, and he doesn't want to be there.





	1. Chapter 1

_Thursday, November 23, 2017_  
_Thanksgiving Night_

The Baris family, and their guests, Daryun and his uncle Vahriz, and Hermes' girlfriend Irina Metaxas, had just sat down to dinner. They had just been served their portions, and got done saying Grace and dug into their meal. Just before everybody finished, Andragoras--who by this point had been out of jail for several weeks--abruptly stood up and stepped away from the table, holding his plate. He had taken another helping of the dinner.

"Arslan and I will take our portions to go," the trollish man said and pulled his son from his chair. "Son," he said to the young teen. "Get another plate together!"

"Hey! Dad!" Arslan protested.

Tahamine suddenly dropped her knife and fork on her plate and looked at her husband with a piercing glare. "Andragoras, we talked about this. You know how I feel about you forcing our children to participate in this...bloodbath. You do what you want, but leave Arslan out of this!"

"What are you talking--?" Osroes asked, then stopped and groaned at his younger brother. "Oh, no, no. Andy, don't do this, especially not to your son."

Irina looked at Hermes and asked, "What are they talking about?"

Daryun shook his head and facepalmed while explaining. "Mr. Baris is taking Arslan to the mall tonight, so they can go shopping tomorrow."

"Can't they just wait until morning to--Wait, isn't tomorrow Black Friday?" Irina asked.

"Yeah," Osroes replied with a sigh.

"But that's dangerous!" Irina said. "My sister ended up with both her legs broken last year!"

"Broken legs or not, this is a Baris family tradition!" Andragoras said proudly. "It's an age-old tradition, going back generations."

"It's not an age-old tradition," Osroes said and rolled his eyes. "Dad started participating in that stupid event after realizing it was a cheaper way to get Christmas presents."

"Nevertheless," Andragoras retorted and kept his hold on Arslan. "Black Friday is an honorable battle, and I've been a proud participant since I was thirteen years old."

"Yeah, and every year since then, you've been beaten up, arrested, or both!" said an irate Osroes. "Leaving either Mom or your wife to pay your bail, and any fines you've incurred!"

"Yes," Andragoras replied, not the least bit embarrassed about what his brother brought up. "And this year is Arslan's maiden battle, since he is now of age. Those experiences will be his as well."

"I don't feel right about Arslan doing this," Tahamine said.

"I agree with Tahamine, Andy," Osroes said.

"Don't call me Andy!" Andragoras exclaimed.

"I don't feel right about my sweet nephew getting involved in this brawl," Osroes continued.

Arslan looked warily at his father. "Dad, I don't think I want to do this."

"Arslan, you are a Baris," Andragoras said in a firm manner, authority emanating from his towering figure. "Every child of the Baris family participates in this battle once they reach thirteen years of age. Just ask Hermes; he did it twice."

"Yeah," Hermes said. "The first year, I ended up with my arm in a sling, and the year after that, I had to wear a back brace. Trust me, Ars, you're not missing anything."

"Well, if I'm not missing anything, I might as well stay home, then," Arslan said quickly and attempted to return to his seat, only to be stopped by his father.

"Arslan Tanner Baris, you're not getting out of this," Andragoras said while pulling his son back from the chair. "Go get your sleeping bag and meet me in the lobby." He pushed Arslan towards his room.

"But, Dad, I--" Arslan started, then stopped when he saw Andragoras glaring at him. "Alright." He then rushed to his room.

After a few silent minutes, Tahamine slowly got up from her chair, and stormed up to her husband. "You had better bring my baby back unharmed, you hear me? _Not one scratch. Not one bruise._ If Arslan is hurt in _any_ way, you better pray to God to help you!"

Andragoras gulped and pleaded with his wife, "Tahamine, be reasonable."

"Not. One. Scratch! Not. One. Bruise! Do you understand?" Tahamine hissed, her blue eyes showing her anger at Andragoras putting her child in harm's way. Andragoras timidly nodded, holding his hands up in surrender.

Tahamine backed off and said quietly, "Good. I'm glad we understand each other." She sat back down at the table with Shireen and the other guests.

After a while, Arslan, Andragoras, Vahriz, and Daryun were ready to leave the apartment. Arslan was about to walk out the door, but was stopped by his baby sister latching onto him.

"No!" Shireen exclaimed and looked up at Arslan. "You can't go to Atropatene, Ars! You can't!"

Arslan knelt down to Shireen's level and took her off him. "Listen, Rena, I don't want to do this either. I wish I didn't have to, but Dad's--"

"Arslan!" Andragoras interrupted the siblings. "What's keeping you?! Shireen, you know better than to prevent your brother from embarking on his maiden battle!"

"I'm coming, Dad," Arslan said with a bit of irritation in his voice. After Andragoras left his kids alone, Arslan gave Shireen a hug. "I'll be back, don't worry."

After letting go of her brother, Shireen, still upset, said, "Promise me you won't die at that place."

"I promise," Arslan said. He patted Shireen on the head, picked his sleeping bag up, and hurried to catch up with his father.

"Well, we should be going now," Vahriz said with a sigh. "Let's go, Daryun."

"Coming," Daryun replied and followed his uncle towards the door. Before he could leave, he was stopped by Tahamine. "Mrs. Baris? What's up?"

"Here," Tahamine said and handed the older teen a thermos and a package. "Hot chocolate and sugar cookies for Arslan. They're two of his favorites. That way he at least has something to warm him up, since his father's so insistent on forcing him to participate in Black Friday."

Shireen ran into the apartment and looked up to Daryun. "Make sure my brother comes back alive, Daryun."

"Don't worry, Rena," Daryun assured the little girl. "Ars will be okay, as long as I'm with him. Plus my uncle will be there as well."

"Thank you," Shireen said and smiled. After that, Daryun took the containers Tahamine gave him and left the apartment with his uncle.

* * *

 

Moments later, Andragoras, Arslan, and their reinforcements from Ecbatana Apartments and Pars Corporation arrived at the Atropatene Mall. The mall wouldn't open for several hours yet, so the Pars soldiers, plus people from Lusitania Villas, set up camp outside, along with hundreds of other shoppers. They wasted no time in getting out their sleeping bags, blankets, and other necessities.

Arslan had just set up his sleeping bag and was leaving his and his father's tent, when he heard Andragoras talking to him.

"Arslan, I just got an idea," Andragoras said.

"What?" Arslan asked.

"Remember those green kids you introduced me and your mother to?" Andragoras said. "What were they called again? Lizards?"

"No, Dad, they're turtles," Arslan replied. "Why are you asking about my friends?"

"You said they're martial artists," Andragoras said.

"Yeah..." Arslan said.

"How good are they?"

"Very good," said Arslan. "Almost expert level. Why?"

"I want you to give them a call," Andragoras explained. "Ask them to come here."

"Okay, I'll do th--" Arslan said and got out his phone. Then he stopped and gave his father a dirty look. "Wait a minute. You want me to recruit my friends for this brawl, don't you?"

"Of course," Andragoras said matter-of-factly. "With their skills, and our numbers, we can beat those Lusitania bastards this Black Friday!"

"But, Dad, I don't--" Arslan began but was interrupted.

"We need all the numbers we can muster!" Andragoras said, grabbing and squeezing Arslan's shoulders, making the boy wince. "Especially since Maryam Estates backed out this year!"

"I really don't want to--" Arslan started, but was cut off again by his father.

"Listen, Arslan," Andragoras said and got in his son's face. This made poor Arslan gag after getting a whiff of his father's breath. "You better call your friends, and get them over to this mall. Right now, young man! Or else I'll ground you for the rest of the year! Got that?"

"Yes, sir," a defeated Arslan replied after Andragoras let him go. He sighed and dialed the number to Leo's cell. He heard the phone ring, until Leo answered.

 _"Hi, Ars,"_ Leo said after answering.

"Hey, Leo," Arslan said. "Listen, I need you and your brothers to come to the Atropatene Mall right away."

 _"Now?"_ Leo asked. _"But it's Thanksgiving; the mall's not open."_

"I know, but my dad said you're needed," Arslan replied.

 _"Okay,"_ Leo said. _"We'll be right there."_

"Thanks," Arslan said. "And I'm sorry to have to call you out here."

 _"It's no problem, Ars,"_ Leo said. _"See you soon. Bye."_ Arslan heard him hang up, then hung up himself and put his phone back in his jacket pocket. Suddenly, he started shivering, and his teeth started to chatter. He looked over and saw Andragoras take something out of a bag: a thermos full of some kind of warm food or drink, judging by the steam Arslan saw coming from the container.

"Hey, Dad," Arslan asked after going over to his father. "Whatever that is, can I have some? I'm really freezing here."

"No!" Andragoras said sharply and held the warm substance away from his shivering son. "Get your own stuff! It's every man for himself at this time of year!"

"Jerk!" Arslan said angrily and stormed away from his father. His countenance brightened when he saw Daryun rush over to him.

"Ars!" Daryun called, then stopped once he caught up with the boy.

"I'm glad you're here, Daryun," Arslan said happily, then sneezed and coughed. "Great. Now I'm catching a cold." He continued shivering and wrapped his arms around himself to try to keep warm.

Daryun put an arm around his friend and said, "Come on, let's get you warmed up." He led Arslan away from Andragoras, towards where Jericho, Soren, and Musa were, along with their parents who worked for Pars Corporation. The three boys were sipping from warm thermoses, and had blankets around them.

"Ars," Musa said in surprise after seeing his friend. "You look terrible."

"I feel terrible," Arslan said while Daryun draped a blanket around his shoulders.

"Here," Daryun said and handed Arslan a thermos and a package of sugar cookies. When Arslan looked first at the containers then at Daryun, the teen continued, "Your mom wanted me to give you these. They're two of your favorites." He gave Arslan a pat on the head and sat down next to the group. "I saw how your dad was treating you. It just isn't right."

"Thanks, Daryun," Arslan said. He wiped his now runny nose on his blanket, then took a sip of the hot chocolate. Then he took out a cookie and dunked it in the hot chocolate. He shared the cookies with his friends.

Minutes later, Arslan, Daryun, Jericho, Soren, and Musa were greeted by the Turtles.

"Guys, hi!" Soren said and smiled, adjusting his hat. "What are you doing here?"

"Ars called us," Donnie replied. "He said his dad needed us."

"Yeah," Arslan said. He looked over his shoulder and groaned. "Oh no, here he comes now."

Andragoras walked over to where Arslan was posted with his friends. He saw the Turtles and said, "Turtles. Good, you made it."

"So, Mr. Baris," Leo said. "What did you need us for?"

"Yeah, and why are all these people camped outside the mall?" Mikey asked.

"I had Arslan call you here because you four are needed for a very important battle," said Andragoras.

"Battle? What battle?" Raph asked. "Last time I checked, except for the occasional rap battle or dance-off, battles aren't fought at malls."

"Well, this is a special battle," Andragoras explained to the Turtles. "One that is fought every year on the day after Thanksgiving."

"The only big event that's held in malls the day after Thanksgiving is--Oh, man!" Donnie said. "Black Friday!"

"Wait, what's wrong with Black Friday?" Mikey asked.

"During Black Friday, stores mark their products' prices much lower than they usually are," Donnie replied. "During this time, people, like the ones we see here, usually barge into the stores once they open, in order to snatch up as many items they can get their hands on."

"I've heard of people getting sent to the hospital after getting injured in this event!" Leo added.

"What?!" Mikey asked, his voice full of alarm.

"Yup," Arslan said. "Those stories aren't entirely exaggerated. That's why I didn't want to call you here."

"Oh no!" Mikey exclaimed. "We've gotta get you outta here, Ars! You might not make it out alive!" He made to pull Arslan away from the mall, but was stopped by Andragoras.

"Oh no!" Andragoras said. "This is Arslan's maiden battle! He is staying!"

Leo looked from Arslan, to his brothers. "We have no choice, guys. Because Mr. Baris insists on making Ars do this, we need to stay, if only to make sure Arslan and our other friends don't get seriously injured."

"Uh...Right," the other three Turtles said hesitantly.

* * *

 

_Friday, November 24, 2017_  
_Black Friday_

The next morning, the Ecbatana Apartments/Pars Corporation faction, along with the Lusitania Villas faction and other shoppers, awoke in the early hours to another cold day. Andragoras and a still sneezing and coughing Arslan rolled up their sleeping bags and folded their tent, while other soldiers, plus the Turtles, did the same thing. Andragoras marched up to the front of his faction and led his troops in a prayer to the Baris family ancestors.

"I call upon my ancestors," Andragoras said loudly. "Jamshid. Kaykhusraw. And all the other Baris family patriarchs. We beseech you to watch over the army of Pars Corporation and Ecbatana Apartments!" He then noticed everyone in the faction, including his son, staring at him like he had two heads.

"Dad, nobody's saying that," Arslan said and rolled his eyes.

"Oh, forget it!" an embarrassed Andragoras said and raised his fist as soon as the mall doors opened. "Yashasuiin!"

The Turtles were swept along with the Pars faction while everyone literally ran at breakneck speed into the mall.


	2. Chapter 2

Chaos reigned supreme inside the mall. People stampeded through the doors, and many of the shoppers pushed and shoved each other, even trampling others while shouting various battle cries.

The Turtles tried getting away from the crowd they were entrenched in, in order to get to Arslan and the other Pars Corporation/Ecbatana Apartments soldiers. However, they were unsuccessful and tried grasping onto each other's hands just to avoid being separated in this melee. That, too, was in vain, for all four of them were forced to let go.

Before being carried away in a sea of crazed shoppers, Mikey shouted one final phrase to his brothers: "Meet up with me in the food court!"

"Mikey, no!" Leo exclaimed frantically as he, Raph, and Donnie helplessly watched their little brother disappear. Just then, Leo saw Raph and Donnie being carried away by other groups and shouted, "Don't panic, guys! I will find you! I'll find you all!"

While the Turtles were having trouble navigating this event, Arslan and the guys from his father's faction were in a predicament of their own. Some of the soldiers didn't get very far, some not even past the fountain in the center of the first floor, when they slipped and fell on the tiled floor; Arslan actually slipped and slid past several soldiers, screaming for someone to help him.

"What the--?" Kubard, one of Andragoras' soldiers asked. "What the heck is this?"

Another soldier felt the floor with his hand and smelled it. "Those Lusitania bastards...They covered this part of the floor in dirty water!" He and the other fallen soldiers looked up to the second floor and saw several Lusitania Villas soldiers aiming canisters at them. They screamed when the enemy sprayed them, then groaned when they saw they were covered in silly string.

 _"Seriously?"_ another soldier, Shapur, asked and started throwing the silly string off himself. _"Silly string?!"_

"I should've stayed at home," Kubard commented while getting silly string off himself as well. "I'm actually still feeling a little..." He burped loudly, towards Shapur's face.

"Ugh! Kubard, that's disgusting!" Shapur said and covered his mouth and nose. After being sure he was completely free of any silly string, Shapur stood up and glared at where the enemy had been earlier. "Come on, let's go get those bastards."

"Fine," Kubard said with a sigh and got up as well.

* * *

 

Meanwhile, Arslan slammed right into a wall, face first. He got up, shook his head, and looked around, trying desperately to avoid being trampled by shoppers.

"Dad?" he called and frantically searched for any sign of Andragoras. "Dad! Dad, where are you?!" Arslan didn't get far in his search when he got swept up in a huge crowd and ended up in the toy store.

Heavily bruised after being stepped on by numerous shoppers, Arslan slowly got up and limped around the store, once again calling out for his father, Vahriz, and Daryun. He heard three male voices calling for him, and turned around to see Jericho, Soren, and Musa in the same store. He ran up to them, relieved he wasn't alone.

"Ars, what happened?!" Jericho asked.

"You're hurt!" Soren said.

"I-I'm fine," Arslan replied, still shaken from being separated from everybody, and stepped on. "What about you guys?"

"We're okay," said Musa. "Come on, let's get out of here!"

"Right," Arslan agreed. However, he wasn't able to escape the store, as he and his friends were separated. Arslan found himself alone again. __

* * *

 

While Arslan was in the toy store, Andragoras had charged into the jewelry store. He spotted an emerald necklace and thought to buy it for Tahamine. As he pushed his way through the crowd, his conquest was halted by another man vying for the same necklace.

"Got it!" the man exclaimed triumphantly, grinning as he held up his prize.

"Oh no you don't!" Andragoras shouted and tackled the man to the ground. He delivered numerous punches to the shocked consumer, until the man let go of the necklace. Andragoras picked the necklace up and gazed at it, a grin slowly forming on his face, until he was tackled to the floor by two mall security guards, the necklace being knocked out of his hand.

"You're coming with us!" one of the mall cops said aggresively, cuffing Andragoras' hands behind his back. The two cops forced Andragoras up off the floor and dragged him, kicking and screaming, out of the jewelry store.

"Let me go, right now!" Andragoras shouted angrily while the cops dragged him away. "I am Andragoras Kelvin Baris III, Goddamnit! My father was Gotarzes Pal Baris II!"

"Like we care," one of the cops said.

"Release me at once, or I'll have your badges!" Andragoras said when he and the cops reached the mall jail. As they uncuffed him, pushed him into a cell, and shut the door behind him, he rushed to the door and yelled for the cops again to "Release me _this instant!_ "

"Shut up," the other cop said. He and his partner left the large, angry man in his cell.

* * *

 

Daryun was running around the mall, looking for Arslan amidst the carnage, worried thoughts flowing through his head. He kept running, ducking other shoppers, until he reached the food court.

"Dammit," he said while wiping his brow after ducking under a table. "What is it about this event that turns normal people into lunatics?! Why can't they just go shopping today without going nuts?!"

"I was just wondering the same thing," Daryun heard a voice say. He turned around and saw that said voice belonged to Mikey.

"Mikey? What are you doing here? I thought you were with your brothers."

"We all got separated in the craziness," Mikey replied. Then he smiled and added, "But it wasn't a total loss. I got pizza!" He happily munched on a slice of cheese pizza.

"That's great that you got pizza," Daryun said as he and Mikey got out from under their respective tables, and stood up. "But we need to find Ars and your brothers."

"Speaking of brothers, you don't have far to look," another male voice said. Daryun and Mikey turned and saw, to Mikey's pleasure, Raph standing in the food court.

"Raph!" Mikey exclaimed and hugged his red-clad brother. While hugging Raph, Mikey caught a whiff of what he thought was the ocean. He let go of Raph and asked, "Why do you smell like the beach?"

"Ocean, from Calvin Klein," Raph explained. "Things got a little crazy at Bed, Bath, & Beyond. I may have also gotten shoved a few times."

"At least nobody stepped on your arm," Leo said, coming up to the trio while holding his left arm. Donnie was with him, and held a hand to his right eye.

"Leo! Donnie! You're alive!" Mikey said and embraced the two turtles.

"Ow!" Leo said. "I'm glad to see you, too, Mikey, but watch the arm."

"Oh, sorry," Mikey said and let his brothers go. "What happened to your arm, Leo?" Then he looked at Donnie. "And why are you covering your eye, D?"

"I wound up in this sporting goods store, and got knocked down and trampled by a bunch of people fighting over sporting equipment," Leo answered Mikey's question. "I could've sworn I saw some guy with this villain moustache from Pars Corporation, along with some guys from Lusitania Villas, grabbing a bunch of stuff, like golf clubs and baseball bats!"

"Whoa!" Mikey and Raph said, eyes wide after listening to Leo's tale.

"The villain moustache guy sounds like Xandes' dad, Kharlan," Daryun said. "Why was he with Lusitania Villas, anyway?"

"No idea," Leo replied.

"I got punched by some guy in the jewelry store," Donnie told Mikey. "Can you believe the lengths people go to just to get a pair of earrings for their wives or girlfriends?! I saw Ars' dad in there, and he assaulted this guy over a necklace!"

"What happened to Mr. Baris?" Daryun asked.

"Mall security had to come and take him away," Donnie said. "He was dragged out of the store, yelling, 'You better let me go! Don't you know who I am?! I'm Andragoras Kelvin Baris III!''

Daryun and the other three Turtles laughed.

"That was a great imitation," Daryun said.

"Wait..." Mikey said, still laughing. "Mr. B's middle name is... _Kelvin_?!" He doubled over in another fit of laughter, holding his sides.

The laughter continued until Daryun and the Turtles got a text. They each opened their phones and stared at their messages in shock.

"Guys, did you just get a mass text from Ars?" Daryun asked, worry in his voice. He showed his message to the Turtles. The message read:

_**'Please help me! Someone, anyone! I'm trapped in the toy store!'** _

"We got the same one," said Leo. He and his brothers showed Daryun their phones.

"We've got no time to lose!" Daryun said urgently and put his phone in his pocket. "Come on! We need to get to the toy store now!"

"Right!" the Turtles said. They and Daryun left the food court, braving the crowd to save their friend.

* * *

 

Arslan was still trapped in the toy store, trying like hell to steer clear of crazed customers. However, his efforts were in vain, as he kept on getting injured.

One parka-clad woman sped past Arslan, pushing an already-filled-to-the-brim shopping cart. She took absolutely no notice of her artificial Christmas tree hitting Arslan in the face. The force of that hit somehow sent the white-haired child flying through part of the store, knocking his navy blue winter hat off. Arslan stopped flying when he finally hit a tall bin full of large bouncy balls, many of which fell out of their container and landed on him.

 _"Seriously?!"_ Arslan exclaimed after climbing out of the mountain of balls. "Ow!" he said when one last ball fell out of the bin and hit him square on the top of his head. He limped away from the bouncy balls and continued to try and avoid more injuries.

Some time later, another large group of shoppers unknowingly shoved Arslan so hard he went flying into an aisle containing a bunch of action figures, toy guns, cars, and robots. Just as he was getting up, an Optimus Prime action figure toppled off its shelf and fell on Arslan's head. The impact was enough to draw a small amount of blood.

Arslan picked Optimus Prime up and saw it was a figure of the Michael Bay version of the Autobots' leader. "Damn you, Michael Bay!" he said angrily and threw Optimus Bay aside, then got up and limped away, holding his injured head. "What do people see in those stupid movies, anyway?"

After some time passed, Arslan was again thrown into another aisle by a crazy crowd; this time, he landed in an aisle filled with girls' toys: Barbie dolls, ponies, tea sets, etc. He tried getting up but was buried in an avalanche of toys great and small.

After digging himself out of the mound of dolls and ponies, Arslan got up and said, "This is just freaking great. If Dad didn't force me into this, I wouldn't--Ouch!" Another toy hit him on the head. "Alright! This is getting really old, really--" Arslan perked up, despite his injuries, at the toy he saw, and picked it up. "Wow! This is the only one Shireen's missing! Twilight Sparkle!" Carrying the _My Little Pony_ doll in his arms, all set to buy it, he walked out of the aisle, but was stopped by a male voice calling out to him.

"Arslan!" the voice called. "I heard you in here! Say something so I can find you!"

"Kharlan, is that you?" Arslan called out in relief. He whimpered and clutched his left side after feeling a sharp pain, and noticed his breaths were coming in short, sharp bursts. "Thank God you're here! I got separated from everybody else, and--" He stopped speaking as soon as he saw a brown-haired middle-aged man with a 1920's villain moustache come up to him, wearing a gray winter coat.

"Thank Heaven I found you," Kharlan said in a not-so-friendly manner. "Hello, Arslan."

"Kharlan..." Arslan said, now scared out of his mind. He clutched Twilight Sparkle to his chest. "Th-there are some Lusitania Villas guys behind you."

"I know," Kharlan said and advanced closer to the boy. "They're my team."

"What?" a confused Arslan asked and again whimpered because of the pain. "But you work for Pars Corporation, and live in Ecbatana Apartments. Why are you siding with Lusitania?!"

"Circumstances have forced me to switch teams," Kharlan explained. "You see, these guys and I made a deal: I scratch their back, they scratch mine."

"Excuse me?!" Arslan asked.

"I shall explain further," said Kharlan. "These guys said they'd help me get a new video game system for Xandes, in return for helping one of theirs get a certain _My Little Pony_ doll for his daughter's Pony Princess collection. And, dear little Arslan, I believe the one you're holding is the one needed to complete the girl's set." The way Arslan held the box to his chest, Kharlan and the guys from Lusitania Villas only saw the back of the box.

"I'm sorry, Kharlan," Arslan said politely and backed further away from Kharlan and his buddies. "But this is the only one Shireen needs to complete her collection. I can't give it to you. Besides, I found it first. There are probably others in the store just like this one."

"You're not making this easy, Arslan," Kharlan said gravely and sighed. He took out a baseball bat, while the guys behind him took out several blunt objects as well.

"K-Kharlan," Arslan said, his voice shaking as he spoke. He continued backing away. "Please, put the bat down." He kept stepping back until he hit something, then turned around and saw another guy from Lusitania Villas, a bald man by the name of Badouin. Before he could run, Badouin grabbed Arslan's shoulders, keeping him in place. "Let go!" Arslan exclaimed and struggled in Badouin's tight grip. He looked up at Kharlan and pleaded once more with the Pars faction member to put the bat down.

"I'll ask you once more," Kharlan said, still holding the bat. "Give me the doll."

"No, I won't!" Arslan said defiantly, still clutching the doll, his already pale skin losing more color due to not being able to breathe well.

"Then you're dead!" said Kharlan. He and his buddies descended on a helpless Arslan, weapons raised.


	3. Chapter 3

Daryun and the Turtles slowly made their way through the throngs of shoppers, trying to get to the toy store.

"Come on!" Raph shouted and pushed two shoppers. "Get out of the way! We need to get through!"

"Why can't these nuts shop like...oh, I don't know, _sane_ people?!" Leo asked while pushing some more shoppers with only his good arm.

"That's what Mikey and I were saying before," Daryun replied.

"Y'know, Mikey," Raph said to his youngest brother minutes later. They had finally gotten free of the shoppers. "Hiding in the food court was probably the best decision you made all year."

"I made other good decisions!" an insulted Mikey replied.

"Name one!" Raph said.

"Hey! Focus!" Daryun exclaimed and swatted the arguing reptiles on their heads. They, along with Leo and Donnie, stopped upon hearing screams.

_"Help! Dad! Vahriz! Daryun! Someb--"_

"That sounded like Ars," Mikey said frantically.

Daryun ran in the direction of the screams. "Hold on, Ars! I'm coming!"

"Daryun!" Donnie called as he and his brothers ran to catch up. "Wait for us!"

* * *

 

Once they reached the toy store, they had trouble getting through for what felt like hours, at least to Daryun. When they finally shoved their way into the store, Daryun pushed ahead. After wading through a bunch of customers and scattered toys, he saw, to his shock and horror, Kharlan and his Lusitanian comrades kicking an already fallen Arslan. He growled, then sped through a couple aisles until he reached Arslan's assailants.

"Ars!" Daryun yelled and pushed several Lusitanian men away.

"Daryun..." Arslan said weakly upon hearing his friend's voice. He had since dropped Twilight Sparkle. He cried out in pain after Kharlan stepped on his now broken arm. The Turtles arrived a few minutes later and assisted in subduing Kharlan and his buddies.

"Daryun, don't you leave us behind again!" a pissed-off Raph said. "I stepped on a Michael Bay Transformer because of..." He stopped yelling at Daryun upon seeing a badly beaten Arslan. "Oh, Kami! Ars!" While a now crying Mikey squatted down to help Daryun tend to Arslan, Raph turned his rage on Kharlan and the Lusitanians, delivering blow after blow, with help from Leo and Donnie.

"You!" Donnie snarled at one of the now fallen Lusitanians. "Beating a defenseless child! How low can you get?!" He used his staff on a couple other Lusitanians who tried sneaking up behind him.

A guy with light brown or dark blond hair, and facial hair, looked up after being knocked down by Raph. "Hey, I smell the ocean."

"Hey, give me a break!" Raph said and kicked the guy. "It happened during a fight at Bed, Bath, and Beyond!"

"Guys!" Daryun exclaimed urgently. Leo, Raph, and Donnie stopped what they were doing, and saw that Arslan had lost consciousness. "Forget those assholes, and let's get out of here! Ars needs to get to the hospital ASAP!" The three older Turtles nodded, literally dropped their opponents on the floor, and proceeded to follow Daryun and Mikey toward the exit.

One of the Lusitanians slowly got up and, grinning, picked the doll up. His grin faded, replaced with a frown, after turning the box around. Then he turned around and glared at Kharlan.

"Hey! Kharlan! This isn't the doll my brother wanted for his daughter!" He held the box right in Kharlan's face. "This is Twilight Sparkle! My niece already has this doll! She needs Princess Celestia! We beat up an innocent child over nothing! I'll never be able to look my family in the eyes for a long time, thanks to you! And you can forget me paying for the game system you want for your son!" He threw Twilight Sparkle aside, not realizing it hit Leo's bad arm.

"Ow!" Leo yelled and grabbed his arm. "Watch the arm, whoever did that!"

"Sorry!" the angry Lusitanian called and went back to ganging up on Kharlan.

Mikey noticed the toy that hit Leo's arm and picked it up. "Hey, it's Twilight Sparkle! The one pony Shireen needs."

"Guess they didn't need Twilight," said Donnie.

Daryun dug into one of his jacket pockets while still keeping a secure hold on his friend. He took out some crumpled bills and gave them to the orange turtle. "Here. You pay for that. I'll take Ars out of here."

"Right," said Mikey. He took the money Daryun gave him and sped towards the checkout counter, Twilight Sparkle safe in his arms even when he got shoved around. When he made it to Checkout, he paid the cashier, then quickly took the change and the toy, and sped out of the store without taking the receipt. After finding his brothers and friends, he and everyone else braved the still insane crowds, pushing until they were safely out of the mall. Once outside, they all piled into the Turtles' car, the Shellraiser, and sped away, driving until they reached Saint Emmanuel General Hospital. There, they anxiously waited in a small waiting room while Arslan was in surgery.


	4. Chapter 4

While waiting, Daryun notified Hermes and Xandes of what happened, and where they were. The two pranksters rushed to the hospital and met up with Daryun and the Turtles.

"Damn that uncle of mine!" Hermes exclaimed and banged his fists on the wooden table, while a distraught Xandes held his head in his hands. "And damn Kharlan!"

"I'm sorry," Xandes said quietly. "I'm so sorry this happened. So that's why my dad called me from the mall jail. Poor Ars."

"It's not your fault, Xandes," Hermes said. "I'm not blaming you for what your dad did."

"I know, but what if I never said I wanted that game system?!" Xandes asked, sounding as if he were about to cry. "Maybe Dad wouldn't have done what he did, and Ars wouldn't be in surgery right now!"

"Arslan wouldn't be in surgery right now if his dad didn't force him to participate in that bloodbath," Hermes said and wiped tears from his eyes.

"True that," said Mikey.

Raph slowly pulled out his sai and gripped them tightly, and stood up, gritting his teeth. "If I get my hands on that bastard Andragoras, I'll make him wish he never took Ars to the mall today! Actually, I'll make him wish he'd never been born!"

Leo jumped up and got a hold of his red-masked brother. "Whoa, whoa, Raph! Put those away! This is a hospital, not the dojo back home."

"Sorry," Raph replied and put his sai away, then sat down.

"About teaching my uncle a lesson, you may want to leave that to my aunt," Hermes said, then sniffed the air. "Raph, why do you smell like the beach?"

"Ocean, from Calvin Klein," said Raph. "I got caught up in the chaos at Bed, Bath, and Beyond. I wish people would stop asking me that!"

"Lighten up; it's a valid question," Hermes said defensively, holding his hands up.

"Do you think your aunt knows what happened by now?" Daryun asked his friend.

"If she doesn't, she will soon," Hermes replied and ran his hands through his hair. "And she won't be happy." He then got out his phone and, hands shaking as he did so, texted Irina about what was happening with his cousin.

* * *

 

While the Pars Corporation/Ecbatana Apartments faction was at the Atropatene Mall, Tahamine had taken Shireen out to get a bite for lunch. She and Shireen had just finished their food, when Tahamine felt her cell vibrate in her purse. She took it out and, seeing the number, answered it.

"Hello?"

 _"Hello, am I speaking to Tahamine Baris?"_ a male voice on the other end asked.

"Yes," Tahamine replied. "Who may I say is calling?"

 _"This is Dr. Jaeger at Saint Emmanuel General Hospital,"_ the voice answered. _"I'm calling about your son, Arslan."_

Tahamine stood up abruptly, knocking over her chair and startling Shireen. She held on to the table as she spoke to the doctor. "What do you mean?! What happened?! Where is my son?!"

"Mommy?" Shireen asked, wondering what was going on. Tahamine didn't answer her, as she was busy speaking with Dr. Jaeger. "Mommy, what's wrong?"

 _"I'm sorry to tell you this,"_ Dr. Jaeger said. _"But Arslan is currently in surgery. He was brought in with numerous injuries, many of which are serious."_

"No..." Tahamine said quietly and knelt down on the floor. She kept hoping this was a cruel prank, concocted by someone like Kharlan, or a neighbor of hers, a man by the name of Hodir. "Not my baby. This can't be real."

"Mommy?" Shireen asked again. She had knelt down on the floor beside her distressed mother. "What's the matter?"

Tahamine looked at her daughter and asked her to go play on the slides for a bit. Once she was sure Shireen was out of earshot, she got back to her conversation with the doctor.

"How did this happen?!" she asked hysterically, close to tears as she stood back up. "How?!"

 _"Arslan's friend Daryun Sadik told me what happened,"_ Dr. Jaeger replied, then proceeded to tell Tahamine the story he had heard. Dr. Jaeger's explanation made Tahamine's blood boil.

"Is my husband, Andragoras, with him?" she asked.

 _"No, I'm afraid he wasn't brought in,"_ said Dr. Jaeger.

"I see," Tahamine said. "Thank you for informing me, Dr. Jaeger. I'll be right over." She hung up, paid the bill the waiter left, and was heading to the play area to get Shireen, when her phone rang a second time.

"Hello?" Tahamine asked. The voice on the other end of the phone was the last voice she wanted to hear at that moment: the voice of her husband.

 _"Tahamine, it's me,"_ Andragoras said. _"You're not going to believe this. I'm...in the mall jail."_

"Yeah, I'm not all that surprised," Tahamine replied in an icy tone. "Guess where my baby boy is?"

 _"Yeah, about that..."_ Andragoras said. _"I may have lost him."_

"Figured as much," said Tahamine. "I just got off the phone with Dr. Jaeger at Saint Emmanuel General. Guess what the good doctor told me. Arslan is in surgery."

 _"Surgery?"_ Andragoras asked, his voice betraying a hint of _'Oh, shit!'_. _"Uh...Well...is he okay?"_

"No, he's _not_ okay!" Tahamine yelled into her phone, tears streaming down her face. Her outburst had gained attention from some of the patrons and their children; she was now in the play area. Shireen had heard her shouting as well, and abandoned the slide she was on, then rushed to her mother's side. Tahamine grabbed Shireen's hand and led her away from the play area and out of the restaurant. "If he was okay, he wouldn't be in _surgery_!"

"Surgery?" Shireen asked in a worried voice, looking up at her upset mother. "Is Ars hurt?"

 _"Look, I'm sorry that happened,"_ Andragoras said. _"But, in my defense--"_

"Save it!" Tahamine interrupted the jailbird. "Any defense _you_ can conjure up is bullshit!"

 _"Uh...Very nice language in front of Shireen,"_ Andragoras nervously said. _"I know she's with you; I can hear her."_

" _You're_ in no position to tell me what language to use!" said Tahamine. "You listen to me: Arslan _better_ survive this, or I swear to God you'll be sorry!" She hung up, put her phone back in her purse, and wiped the tears from her face when she and Shireen got to the bus stop.

"Mommy, what's going on?" Shireen asked.

"I'm sorry, honey," Tahamine said and put an arm around her daughter. "Your brother is in the hospital right now. He...he got hurt at the mall."

"But I thought he was safe," a now crying Shireen said. "I was told he'd be safe! Why did he get hurt?! Why?!"

Tahamine was silent for a moment until she and Shireen boarded the bus and sat down. She explained to the little girl how her big brother wound up in the hospital. Then she called Osroes and asked him to meet her and Shireen at the bus stop near their apartment complex. Once she and Shireen met Osroes at the stop, Tahamine put him in charge of her daughter, assuring them both that she'd let them know about Arslan's condition. Afterwards, she got back on the bus, and rode to the hospital.

* * *

 

Once she reached the hospital and got off the bus, Tahamine checked in at the front desk and asked the receptionist where she could find Dr. Jaeger. After being informed on the whereabouts of the doctor treating her son, Tahamine took the elevator to the floor housing trauma patients. There, the worried mother met up in the waiting room, with Daryun, Hermes, Xandes, and the Turtles.

Tahamine asked for the full story of what happened, as she already knew Arslan had sustained numerous injuries as a result of Black Friday. Daryun and the Turtles telling her that Kharlan was the one who assaulted her son added more fuel to her anger. Even though she knew her husband was in the mall jail, she asked if any of them knew if Andragoras was nearby, only to be told otherwise.

"The last time I saw Mr. Baris, I got punched in the eye by another guy at the jewelry store," Donnie explained. "I saw Andy getting dragged away by mall security after attacking somebody else over a necklace."

"Oh, so he neglected searching for my boy in favor of fighting some guy over _jewelry_?!" an angry Tahamine asked. "That's how he lost my baby?!"

"It seems that way," Donnie said.

Tahamine clenched her purse in her fists and gritted her teeth. "That bastard! I shouldn't have gotten him a lesser sentence back in Italy!"

Two more hours passed until Dr. Jaeger entered the waiting room. Tahamine anxiously inquired about her son's condition.

"The operation was a success," said the bespectacled doctor. "We did have a couple scares during the procedure, but Arslan pulled through. He's stable at the moment, but we put him in Intensive Care as a precaution for now." He and the visitors exited the room, and continued down the long, sterile-smelling corridor.

"How long until Arslan can come home?" Tahamine asked.

"I would like to keep him here for observation, for a couple weeks," Dr. Jaeger said. "After that, if everything's okay, he should be cleared to go home, and should be on bed rest for a while."

"I see. Can I see my son, Doctor?"

"He's out of it right now, but yes, I think it's okay for him to have visitors," Dr. Jaeger replied and smiled.

"Thank you," Tahamine, Daryun, the pranksters, and the Turtles said in relief. They finally stopped at a room and were about to enter, when the doctor stopped them.

"What gives?!" Raph asked.

"Sorry, but only family is allowed at the moment," Dr. Jaeger said in a stern tone.

"But--" Daryun said.

"I'm sorry, but those are my rules," the doctor interrupted the worried teen.

"Hey, Doc," Hermes said firmly. "Listen, I know Daryun, Xandes, and the Turtles aren't related to Ars in any way, but, by God, they're just as much family as I am, as much as Ars' mom is! So... _Let. These. Guys. In._ " This made the Turtles back away.

"Easy, Hermes," Leo said and reached for his friend. Unfortunately, he reached for his bad arm, which made him yell "Ouch!" and pull the arm back.

"Whoa," said Dr. Jaeger. He looked closer at Leo's arm. "That arm looks pretty bad. How long has it been like this?"

"About several hours, I think," said Leo. "I got stepped on at the mall today."

"Let me take a look," the doctor said.

"Uh...I think I'll be okay," Leo said hesitantly and started backing away from the doctor, only to be stopped by Raph.

"I think it's for the best," Raph said despite Leo's protests. "You can't suffer with this any longer." Leo relented and consented to let the doctor look at his arm.

Dr. Jaeger turned to Arslan's family and friends and told them they could go in and see Arslan. Then he turned back to the Turtles and led them to his office, where he first got an ice pack for Donnie's eye, and proceeded to check Leo's injured arm. He had the eldest Turtle taken for an X-ray, when Mikey questioned the doctor at to why he wasn't scared of them. After listening to Dr. Jaeger describe some of his patients, the Turtles figured out who he was talking about and got excited.

"Wait a minute," Raph said. "Are you telling us that some of your patients are members of _the Justice League?_ "

"You rock, Doc!" Mikey exclaimed and grinned.

"Yes," Dr. Jaeger replied while examining Leo's X-rays. "But you must not tell anybody else. I shouldn't have even told _you_ ; I could get in trouble if word got out."

"Don't worry, Doc. We won't tell anyone," Donnie assured him. "We're ninjas, so we're really good at keeping secrets; we have to do our own work in secret ourselves."

"Thank you," Dr. Jaeger said. After examining the X-rays, he determined that Leo's arm had a slight fracture, and got to work putting Leo's arm in a sling. Then he told Leo he'd need to keep his arm in the sling for the next 2-3 weeks.

"But I'm a ninja," Leo said. How am I supposed to lead the team in this condition?"

"We'll talk to Splinter about that when we get back to the Lair," Raph said. "Just be happy you're not in the same state Ars is in."

"You're right," Leo said with a sigh. He and the Turtles thanked Dr. Jaeger for his help, then went back to Arslan's room, where they posted themselves outside the door, like sentries.

* * *

 

In Arslan's room, an exhausted Arslan was talking with his mother about what went on, why Kharlan would do what he did.

"So went my maiden battle," Arslan concluded.

"And that's your last battle," said Tahamine.

"Good," Arslan said weakly. "I'm cool with that." He then asked what happened to his father and the Turtles, and where his sister was. He was glad that Shireen wasn't there, but at home with their uncle; he didn't want her seeing him like this.

"Your dad assaulted someone at the jewelry store, so he's going to be in the mall jail for about a couple more hours," Daryun replied. "Your uncle will probably get him out. The Turtles are fine, just a little scraped up. Dr. Jaeger most likely took care of them."

"I'm glad the Turtles are okay," Arslan said quietly. "Hey...tell my dad I'm sorry I failed this thing."

"You have nothing to apologize for," Daryun said, looking his friend square in the eye. "Listen. You don't have to be sorry about anything."

"That's right," said Hermes. "Your dad's the one who should be sorry. You shouldn't have been at the mall today in the first place."

"Hermes and Daryun are right," Tahamine said gently and took her son's hand. "You did nothing wrong. Your father will pay for what he put you through."

 _'Oh, boy,'_ Arslan thought and gulped, getting an idea of what his mother had in store for his father. He then asked Tahamine when she thought he'd be able to come home.

"Dr. Jaeger wants to keep you here for a couple weeks, just to make sure you're out of the danger zone," Tahamine replied. "After that, you'll need to be on bed rest for a while."

"Okay," Arslan said. He talked with his cousin and friends while his mother called Osroes' cell to let the man and Shireen know about Arslan's condition.

* * *

 

A couple hours later, Andragoras, having been bailed out by his pissed-off brother, arrived at the hospital and, after being told where his son was, took the elevator up to the floor housing trauma patients. He strode down the corridor until he saw his wife, nephew, Daryun, Xandes, and the Turtles standing outside Arslan's room, talking to Dr. Jaeger. He walked briskly until he reached the group, and froze when he was met with the coldest glares he had ever received.

"What the hell are _you_ doing here, asswipe?" Raph asked, reaching for his sai.

"I'm here to see my son," Andragoras replied and glared at the red turtle. Then he turned to Dr. Jaeger and demanded to know who he was.

"Dr. Grisha Jaeger," the doctor replied, then glared coldly at the intimidating brunette before him. "And you must be Arslan's father."

"Yes, I am," said Andragoras. "Now, if you'll excuse me--" He tried pushing past the group at the door, but was stopped. "What the hell?! Let me in there, dammit!"

"Keep your voice down, asshole!" Tahamine hissed. "Arslan's trying to rest! He's very exhausted, being he had surgery today!"

"He can rest after I talk to him," Andragoras said in a firm manner and made for the door again. However, something held him back: The Turtles were blocking his way, and when he turned around, Tahamine had a very firm grip on his arm. Andragoras saw the expression his wife wore: one of mounting fury threatening to boil over.

"You keep away from my baby, you bastard," Tahamine said. Andragoras could've sworn he heard her growl.

"Yeah!" Donnie said. "You have no right to barge into Ars' room, not after what you put him through!"

"Besides, visiting hours are over," said a furious Dr. Jaeger. "You can visit your son tomorrow, although I have no idea why on Earth he would want to see _you_."

"What's _that_ supposed to mean?!" Andragoras demanded.

"I mean," Dr. Jaeger said calmly, "That _you're_ the one who put Arslan in this mess. You dragged a child to Black Friday. A child who didn't want to participate, who shouldn't have been there in the first place."

"I agree with Grisha," said Tahamine. Her tone, plus the look on her face, now scared Andragoras.

"Fine," Andragoras said with a sigh. "I'll be here tomorrow." He turned and strode away from the room, down the hall. Tahamine thanked Dr. Jaeger once again for treating her son, then followed her husband to the elevator, with Daryun, Hermes, Xandes, and the Turtles trailing after.

* * *

 

The Turtles saw Hermes, Xandes, and Daryun home, then went back to their place. Andragoras felt very uneasy taking the elevator with his still angry wife, nephew, and the boy's friends. Once the elevator got to their floor, the party disembarked, and headed for their own apartments.

"Oh, Hermes," Tahamine called.

"Yes?" Hermes asked.

"Would your father be able to let Shireen spend the night at your place?" Tahamine asked. "I have to talk to your uncle." She glared at Andragoras, who looked to Hermes for help.

"Not a problem," said Hermes. He said goodnight to his aunt and uncle, and walked to his apartment.

"Now, Andy," Tahamine said in a low voice. She grabbed her husband by his jacket and dragged him into the their apartment, and slammed the door.

 _"Easy, Tahamine,"_ Andragoras pleaded from inside the apartment. _"Take it easy, Tahamine, please--"_ His words were cut off by his screams, and Tahamine's shouting, along with the sounds of Andy being beaten up.


End file.
